An assistant professor from Punjab allegedly died by suicide when her body was found in the Sirhind canal in Rupnagar district on Monday afternoon. A suicide note left by the deceased mentions her struggle to secure employment and the name of Education Minister Harjor Bains.
The 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front and the family members of Balwinder Kaur along with farmer unions are seeking justice for her death. The family members have not allowed the authorities to do a postmortem as of yet.
The 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front has been staging a protest near Bains' residence in his hometown of Gambhirpur for the past 56 days, demanding employment and calling for legal action against the minister. A new protest has also begun outside the Rupnagar Civil Hospital, where Kaur's body is being held in the mortuary.
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One of the largest farmer unions in Punjab BKU Ugrahan have extended support to Kaur's family.
According to Indian Express, Kaur was one of the candidates participating in the protest led by the 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front. According to Kaur's alleged suicide note, the Congress government had issued appointment letters to numerous individuals, including herself, for the position of assistant professor in December 2021.
However, the matter was subsequently brought to court, where it remains pending. Since the incident on October 21, political parties have stood in support of the 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front and Kaur's family, demanding action against the minister.
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Reportedly, a family member of Kaur informed that the authorities assured them of taking action on the basis of her suicide note but nothing like that has happened.
Simultaneously, the demonstrating teachers set effigies of Bains and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ablaze in the evening as a symbolic act of protest on Dussehra. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha – Punjab unit, along with five other farmer organizations, has also voiced their solidarity with the teachers and Kaur's family.
As per reports, this Wednesday, it is anticipated that a substantial number of farmers will assemble both outside the Rupnagar civil hospital and in Gambhirpur village.
Sunil Jakhar, the state president of the BJP, on Tuesday, visited the civil hospital, paid a visit to the family at their residence, and subsequently went to the protest site at Gambhirpur village in Rupnagar, where he spoke to the demonstrators.
